Rolling rolling rolling - 50 day blog: day 20

Our bodies move in many directions, through many different angles and ranges, each of us have our own unique pattern and way of moving.  

But, there are generalised patterns within the overall human design and fascia has been found to form its own generalised patterns within that design. In very simplistic terms those patterns allow us to bend forward, bend back, bend side to side, rotate and open and close our arms and our legs.   

If we move through all those patterns regularly then we are one step towards a healthier lifestyle (one step, but a step nonetheless!).

Chances are that you move through one or two of them more often that the other, and you also may not be aware, for instance, if one side is bending as well as the other. 

I have a little series of moves that I regularly do to ensure that I'm not over stiffening in one line compared to another and generally to just help me feel where I am in terms of my overall balance and movement. Over time, I find that I loosen up more, I feel better for doing these and now that I know my general pattern I know when I'm letting things slip in terms of looking after myself. 

I thought that this week it might be nice if I shared these with you and recapped at the end so that you can add these simple and beneficial movements into your life if you so desire.*

NUMBER 1: HIP ROLLS  

This lovely movement takes you through spinal rotation and works through your fascia's spiral line.

Now, this is a simple exercise but I want you to remember that this is about your SPINE and torso first and foremost. The intention of the exercise is not to get your legs to the floor, but to rotate through the torso. 

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, your arms outstretched in line with your shoulders. 

Roll your hips to one side with your feet stacked one on top of the other. I like to imagine that my legs have become one, with the inner thighs lightly glued together, but no tension keeping them there. Can you keep your upper back 'quiet' on the floor as your knees roll away from the centre, rolling on to the side of one hip and feeling that the tissue on that side of your spine is supporting the weight of your legs in the twist. Keeping your legs heavy bring your hips back to the centre and then continue over to the other side. As you make the movements happen, be aware that your legs will want to 'rule' the movement. Can you instead allow gravity to take the weight of them down, you deciding the speed with which that happens? Slow and gentle is best. And rather than your legs dominating the return to centre phase, can you instead use the tissue in your torso, feeling it massage into the floor from one side of your spine to the other, with your legs becoming quite 'lazy' in the movement? Your head rotates to the opposite side from your knees or you can keep it still, instead focusing on the hips. 

This is my very favourite movement to carry out to relax and release! 

I tend to imagine that I am rotating around a central axis through my body and my legs are heavy yet my waist is long. My arms always want to retreat as I twist so I focus on maintaining their length as I enjoy massaging my back from one side to the other on the floor.   

Enjoy! 

Number 2 tomorrow. Til then..... :-)

CT :-) x

*if you find any of the movements painful then stop. Similarly do not carry out without further guidance if you have known injuries or pathologies which mean you need to be careful of or restrict certain movements.